UBC Psychology researchers receive CIHR Funding for health research

August 4, 2015

UBC Psychology professors Liisa Galea and Sheila Woody are among UBC’s health researchers who have received a total of $73.6 million in grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Drs. Galea and Woody both received CIHR Open Operating Grants; awards that have been established to support research and knowledge translation projects across the full spectrum of health. The CIHR awards invest over$600 million in funding to support health researchers seeking to improve disease prevention and treatment, and strengthen healthcare for Canadians.

Dr. Liisa Galea

Dr. Galea’s funding will go towards her research project ‘Neural plasticity-dependent mechanisms of antidepressant efficacy in males and females‘.

Depression affects 20% of the population and women are more likely to be depressed than men particularly throughout the reproductive years. Very little research has been done to examine how hormones in men and women affect the ability of antidepressants to work to alleviate symptoms of depression. This research will examine the role of different types of antidepressants achieve their therapeutic effects in low testosterone/estradiol or high testosterone/ estradiol males and females. This research will bring us closer to understanding the mechanisms of how antidepressants exert their effects to alleviate depression in both men and women.

Dr. Sheila Woody

Dr. Woody’s funding will go towards her research project ‘Exploring the cognitive underpinnings of hoarding‘.

Hoarding disorder is a newly defined diagnostic category that affects as many as 1.5 million Canadians. This research will determine the cognitive underpinnings of two key features of hoarding: excessive valuing of objects and extreme disorganization of the home. Five studies are proposed to investigate aspects of cognitive functioning as they relate to hoarding behaviour. This research will also examine whether hoarding involves deficits in executive functioning. The results will impact the development of more efficacious and cost-effective approaches to treatment as well as provide clues into the neuroscience behind hoarding and related disorders.

A full list of recipients of the CIHR Open Operating Grants can be found here.